Advanced Modules (Years 1 – 4)

DTP Advanced Training

During their exploratory projects and throughout their studies, students are able to access advanced training opportunities organised by the DTP and other training programmes, including the interdisciplinary doctoral programmes at the DTC. We review and update our training programme on an annual basis, according to student feedback, research interests and the availability of training within and outside the partnership, enabling us to focus the format and content of training on student needs. Advanced training opportunities come in variety of forms, as outlined below, ranging from full-time courses to student-centred practice-led training. Students are required to record and report on their training programme in their training record, which is reviewed on a termly basis by their supervisory team and programme director.

Advanced Modules

DTP students can opt to attend additional courses from those offered across the University and the partnership, including those provided via the DTC, the MPLS Graduate Academic Programme and Medical Science Division Skills Training Programme. Advanced courses offered within the DTC typically take the form of intensive 1 and 2 week modules.

Advanced training modules

Advanced Light Microscopy

Chemical Neuroscience

Study Design and Clinical Trials

Advanced NMR/MS

Chemistry for Bioscientists

Synchrotron and Neutron School

Advanced Image Analysis

Computational Skills*

Synthetic Biology Methods

Agrochemistry

Epigenetics

Synthetic Circuit Design

Anatomy and Physiology

Genome Engineering

Synthetic Communities

Animal Handling and In Vivo Skills

High Performance Computing

Synthesis Techniques

Anti-infectives

Mathematical Biology

SysMIC (online course)

Bioinformatics

Methods in Environmental Research

Systems and Control Theory

Biomechanics

Molecular Recognition

Systems Medicine

Biomimetic Construction

Statistics Using R

Taxonomy and Systematics

Biophysics

Stochastic Modelling

Topics in Environmental Research

Biopolymers

Structural Biology

X-ray Crystallography

*Training in a wide variety of computational skills is available via OUCS

Workshops and Study Groups

In addition to the advanced training modules described above, students are able to explore a range of other training opportunities within and outside the partnership. Such training might include research days presenting the most recent developments in a specific area of research, workshops focused on particular methodological approaches, or inter-DTP courses focused on specialist subject areas where it is beneficial to bring together expertise from different institutions. Students may also participate in academic or industry-led study groups in which they work as a team to understand and propose solutions to unsolved research questions and grand challenges in bioscience research. Such study groups complement the creative thinking and enterprise and entrepreneurship training provided by the DTP in encouraging students to think creatively about solutions to problems and how to translate them into reality.

Practice-Led Training Groups

As students continue their research in years 2-4 they are encouraged to further develop their interdisciplinary skills, both in the context of their specific research project and through further training and study. During this period the DTP provides further assistance in the form of personalised, small group training – Practice-Led Training Groups (PTGs) - in which students are supported in developing and practising advanced research skills and knowledge that complements their specific research project and interests. All students are encouraged to participate in at least one PTG. PTGs provide problem-based, small group training led by expert facilitators. PTGs typically take the form of a series of 1-12 training sessions, with defined learning outcomes or outputs and work assignments between sessions.Example aims for PTGs might include:

To practice and develop programming , quantitative or statistical skills

To gain an in depth understanding of a specific research topic through structured reading and analysis of textbooks and/or research papers

To collaborate on a specific output such as a report or review

To expand interdisciplinary skills through work on a collaborative, interdisciplinary project, such as the development of a scientific instrument, database or software package